PlayStation 4 Pro vs. PS4 Slim vs. PS4 Original [Specs Comparison]

It has been three years since Sony launched the first PlayStation 4 model, but yesterday in what was an almost quiet affair compared to the iPhone 7 launch, it revealed two new consoles: the PlayStation 4 Slim and the PlayStation 4 Pro. While these two new consoles are improvements over the original, Sony has stated that they intend them to complement it. The company will continue to produce content for all three devices. But how do they compare?

PlayStation 4 Pro vs. PlayStation 4 Slim vs. PlayStation 4: power

Starting with what is the most important factor for any gamer is important. You want to know exactly what these two new consoles can give you compared to the original PS4. So let’s look at power. The PlayStation 4 has the eight-core AMD Jaguar CPU and an AMD Radeon GPU running at 1.84 terraflops. Comparing this to what is on offer with the PlayStation Slim is a little disappointing because it provides no improvements in power compared to its predecessor at all!

The long-rumored PlayStation 4 Pro has been tweaked to provide a much more powerful console. However, at the launch yesterday, Sony failed to go into any real detail. Instead, its representative mentioned that the device will feature a new GPU architecture called AMD Polaris, which will apparently provide twice as much graphics power, but yet again, Sony failed to provide further detail.

So unfortunately until Sony decides to spill the beans, we are left having to rely on speculation again. So here is what rumors have suggested the PlayStation 4 Pro will offer regarding power. It will keep the eight-core Jaguar processor, but it will be overclocked to reach an improved speed of 2.1GHZ per core. The GPU will also be much faster, running at 911MHZ. The PlayStation 4 Pro will have the same 8GB of RAM as the other models but be tweaked to run at 218GBs rather than the much slower 176GBs.

software

The fact that the PlayStation 4 Pro will have much more advanced capabilities suggests some fantastic titles in the future. However, at the moment, Sony is insisting that developers create games that can work on all three devices.

That being said, the PlayStation 4 Pro is capable of so much more. Thankfully Sony is allowing game creators to take advantage of this by creating Pro-exclusive improvements. They could come in the form of a title being able to be played at much higher frame rates and improved resolution while also still being capable of running on the two technically identical consoles.

The downfall for the PlayStation Slim and older PS4 could end up being that they see this dual compatibility as a double-edged sword. On one hand, they will have the PlayStation 4 Pro to develop for with its faster frame rates and higher resolution support, and on the other, they will have lower frame rates and inferior resolution to scale down to for the older technology.

Ultimately, this may mean that we will not see the real potential of the PlayStation 4 Pro until next year. By then, developers will have had a chance to get to grips with a more convoluted PlayStation experience.

design

Design is the only place you will notice a difference between the PS4 and PlayStation 4 Slim. However, I should tell you that “slim” is not being used by Sony. Why? This is because the console is a direct replacement for the original.

So now that you know that, let’s move on to the size difference. The first PS4 weighed in at 2.8KG, and its overall size in millimeters was 275 x 53 x 305mm. The so-called Slim weighs in at 2.1kg, and its dimensions are 265 x 39 x 288mm.

The PlayStation 4 Pro is big, measuring 295 x 55 x 327mm; that’s weight, height, and depth. It weighs in at a hefty 3.3kg, which is more than 1kg heavier than the Slim model.

price and release date

The PlayStation 4 (Slim) will set you back $299 in the U.S. and  £259 in the U.K. The console will go on sale around September 15. As for the more powerful 4K and VR-ready PlayStation 4 Pro, you will have to wait until November 10. It will be priced at $399 in the U.S. and £359 in the U.K.

specs compared

Here’s a comprehensive list/spec sheet of how the PlayStation 4 Pro compares to its siblings.

PlayStation 4 Pro vs. PlayStation 4 Slim vs. PlayStation 4 spec sheet